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May 25, 2001, Meazza Stadium in Milan, Italy.
The UEFA Champions League final was about to commence, with Bayern Munich facing Valencia CF.
This was a duel between "losers."
Of course, this was a rather golden type of loser.
The former was the loser of the Champions League final two years prior.
The latter was last year's Champions League final loser.
Between these two losers, one was bound to break free from their cocoon and transform, becoming a new powerhouse in the new century.
Both sides ended the one hundred and twenty minutes tied one to one.
It's worth mentioning that both goals came from penalties.
Valencia's key player Mendieta scored the penalty.
For Bayern, after Scholl missed a penalty earlier, they got another chance in the second half which Effenberg successfully converted.
In the penalty shootout, Bayern's Paolo Sergio missed the first kick, but the German goalkeeper Kahn was spectacular, saving the shots by Zahovic and Caboni in succession.
